News

News

Wood Badge for the 21st Century - Wood Badge has evolved into the core leadership skills training course for the BSA. This course focuses on strengthening every volunteer’s ability to work with and lead groups of youth and adults. Leader must be trained in current leadership position to attend this course. Dates for the 2013-2014 program are September 27-29, 2013 at Camp Pine Tree and October 25-27, 2013 at Camp Roosevelt. Information about this Wood Badge course can be found online, or contact Scoutmaster Marie Snyder or Assistant Scoutmaster Terry Guarduci.

Spring is here and summer will soon be rolling around.Young people all over the region will be pulling out bicycles for fun and transportation.Every year we hear tragic stories of children injured in falls and other bike related incidents.Let's prevent those incidents by teaching our children to drive their bikes safely.

The Mahalala District will sponsor its first "Bike Rodeo" on June 22,, 2013 from 9-11 AM at 10000 Midlantic Drive in Mount Laurel.This event will include helmet fit stations, bike inspection stations, and skill stations led by certified instructors from the League of American Bicyclists.Skill stations will include fun activities on the bicycle that will help your child deal with everyday situations.

This event is open to all cub scouts and families in the Garden State Council-BSA.Preregistration is required.There is no fee for this activity.

In 1948 Jirair S. Hovnanian and his family immigrated to the United States of America in search of finding the American Dream.Through years of hard work, dedication and adherence to a strict code of ethics and morals, Mr. Hovnanian and his family have realized that dream.As the founder of J. S. Hovnanian & Sons, one of the area’s largest builders of quality new homes, Mr. Hovnanian felt a desire to give back to the community.In 1998, in celebration of his fiftieth year as an American citizen, Mr. Hovnanian created the Jirair S. Hovnanian Scholarship Fund.

The purpose of this fund is to award scholarships to youth who are registered members of the Garden State Council, Boy Scouts of America, to assist young people in their pursuit of the American Dream.Interested youth are encouraged to read the attached documents to determine their eligibility and then complete the required application and submit it to the Garden State Council, Boy Scouts of America.

All applications must be submitted to either Scout Service Center by May 31, 2013.All applications will be reviewed and the winners will be notified by phone.A check will be presented to the recipients at the Council Executive Board Meeting on JUNE 17, 2013.

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION IN THEHOVNANIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND

FOR BOY SCOUTS, EXPLORERS AND VENTURERS CAN BE FOUND IN THE ARTICLE ATTACHMENT BELOW:

The Annual Ed Bridge Memorial Golf Classic provides significant financial support for the Garden State Council. The Garden State Council's mission is to prepare our young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Portions of the funds raised by EBMGC are targeted to reach out to underserved populations within the County.

The 34 year-long commitment of the EBMGC has been to increase the financial strength of the Garden State Council, BSA. The late Mr. Bridge's vision was to raise funds by hosting an enjoyable day of golf and fellowship. His vision has brought together a wide-ranging group of business leaders and professionals to attend our golf events and to raise funds for our Boy Scouts. Our supporters have been rewarded with many memorable days of golf and fellowship. And, more importantly, they have earned the satisfaction of supporting a most worthwhile cause. All who have volunteered and participated should be proud that their efforts as the EBMGC has raised nearly $1,000,000 for our local Boy Scouts. Our young people are very grateful for the community's continued support.

The vision and commitment endure. We look forward to many more years of supporting our Boy Scouts and enjoying a day of golf and fellowship with you!

My name is Ross Clouser, and I am the Vice Chief of Program for Hunnikick Lodge 76, Order of the Arrow. We are inviting all 2nd year Webelos and 1st year Boy Scouts to a very fun and exhilarating event.

As the boys progress from Webelos to Boy Scouts, a lot of activities will become more challenging, especially in outdoor skills. Scouts will need to develop stronger outdoor skills as they take on new adventures.

Our goal is to get younger scouts more familiar with the outdoors, so we are inviting all 2nd year Webelos and 1st year Boy Scouts to participate in our annual Outdoor Skills Day! You son may also invite a non-Scout friend, who is in the same age group.

The cost of Outdoor Skills Day is $7 per scout and $4 per non-scout friend. Outdoor Skills Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, 2013, from 8 a.m. through 4 p.m. at Pine Tree Environmental and Education Center in Tabernacle, New Jersey.

This year, we will also be having our annual Council wide Arrow of Light and Crossover Ceremony. All of your boys who received their Arrow of Light and crossed over this year are welcome to attend our Arrow of Light and Crossover Ceremony. After the Ceremony, there will be a BBQ and a campfire! Scouts receiving the Arrow of Light award will also get a free Council Shoulder Patch as well.

The cost of Outdoor Skills Day for a participant not receiving the Arrow of Light is $7 per scout and $4 per non-scout which covers lunch. If you son is going through the Arrow of Light and Crossover Ceremony, the cost will be $17, which includes his participation throughout the day, his participation at the Ceremony, and 3 guest’s participation at the ceremony as well. Outdoor Skills Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, 2013, from 8am through 4pm if your son is staying just for the day. If your son is staying for the whole day and for the evening ceremonies and BBQ, they will be dismissed at 6pm. Outdoor Skills Day is at Pine Tree Environmental and Outdoor Center in Tabernacle, New Jersey.

Outdoor Skills Day 2013 will include:

·Staff performing skits and teaching skills

oCooking

oOrienteering

oFire Building

oPioneering

oFun/Games

oFirst Aid

·Lunch

·Opportunity to meet scouts who are the same age from other Packs/Troop

To sign up, please send the enclosed form and check made out to Hunnikick Lodge 76 to: Hunnikick Lodge 76, 693 Rancocas Road, Westampton, NJ 08060. The registration deadline is April 6, 2013. There is a limit on how many participants can come, so sign up early before space fills up.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. When you see your scout after they have participated in Outdoor Skills Day, you will be amazed by all the new skills they have mastered. Don’t have your scouts miss out on this exciting opportunity!

Here is your chance to earn the SCUBA Diving Merit Badge. Scouts, age 13 and older, in this program will come together for 5 days. Through this program, Scouts will have the opportunity to earn the SCUBA Merit Badge, including a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Open Water Dive Certification. PADI is a recognized organization by the Boy Scouts of America.

The cost for the course is: $660. This fee covers all training materials, meals, camping fees, instruction, certification fees, and open water certification dives. The student is responsible only for bringing diving mask, snorkel, & fins available at a local dive shop.

Prerequisites. Scouts must be at least 13 years old and have completed the Swimming Merit Badge prior to August 3, 2013. Scouts must bring a completed BSA Heath History and signed waivers (Will be sent to Scouts after registering), and will be required to schedule/complete checkout dives at Dutch Springs.

For current members of the Boy Scouts of America who are active in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

The Mervin Sluizer, Jr. Scholarship Fund was created in 1992 by alumni of Philadelphia Troop 185, Boy Scouts of America, for the purpose of helping worthy scouts pursue higher education. This is a scholarship in the amount of $1,000 which may be re-applied for each year throughout the applicant’s higher education. Scholarship recipients will be selected from active Scouts who meet the criteria below. The fund is administered by The Philadelphia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization. The award will be made to the educational institution according to the regulations of The Philadelphia Foundation. Any tax consequences are solely the responsibility of the Scholarship recipient.

Once again the Kudu sounds, bring your totem and critters and join the other members of Gilwell for an evening of fun, food, and good fellowship.If you’d like to invite other Wood Badgers, please feel free to pass along a copy of this invitation.Does your spouse need an evening out?Non-Wood Badge trained spouses are also invited to attend, so treat your spouse to a great meal and enjoyable camaraderie.

The Garden State Council has an exciting Camporee this October 18, 19, 20, 2013."RiverJam" will be held atCampbell's Field and all along the Camden Waterfront utilizing Adventure Aquarium and Battleship New Jersey!

To ensure that every Scout in the Council has the opportunity to attend, we have come up with a very creative fund raising opportunity with the Camden Riversharks.Each Unit can purchase Ticket Vouchers from the Council for $6.00 and sell them for up to the face value of the $12.00 admission ticket.The unit and the Scout that sells them agree between themselves the percentage of profit each receives.

Ticket vouchers are good for all 2013 Camden River Sharks regular season home games, scheduled April 23 through September 8, and are available through both Garden State Council Offices through August 15, on an as needed basis.

Units can order as many vouchers as they want at a cost of $6.00 each, good for any 2013 regular season game, 200 level seat.

There will be a $3.00 S&H fee charged to each order. When the order and payment* are received the vouchers will be mailed direct to the purchaser by the scout store manager.

The purchaser will have the option of paying by credit card and paying an additional user fee or paying by check* and mailing it direct to the council office of their choice.

Vouchers are non returnable! Do not purchase more than you can realistically sell.Units can always order more vouchers.Order cautiously or pre-sell.

Vouchers can be upgraded to 100 level seating at the Camden Riversharks Box Office for an additional $2.00 each.

Hurry!Order today!!!Your Scouts can enjoy an incredible Scouting weekend, and earn their own way!

To order vouchers for your unit, navigate to http://www.snjscouting.org/ select Activities from the left hand tool bar, then Upcoming Council Activities, Scroll down to RiverJam - River Sharks Fund Raising Opportunity!Click on to order vouchers!

Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters are considered trained when they have completed Youth Protection (renewed every two years), Boy Scout Leader Specific Training, and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills.

The Garden State Council invites you to participate in the Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills, a fun-filled program of hands-on skills training in the outdoors, designed to help you master basic camp skills required for tenderfoot to First Class. This course will be held at

Instructors will help you learn how to set up camp, cook, work with woods tools and about ropes, first aid, planning campfire programs, map reading and compass skills, hiking and packing techniques, nature identification, and Leave No Trace. Each outdoor session will bring to life the pages of the Boy Scout Handbook to help you deliver the promise of Scouting to yourself and the youth you serve. It will also give you the opportunity to work with other Scout leaders from your area, meet new friends, and reinforce skill techniques with fellow unit leaders.

Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters are considered trained when they have completed Fast Start, This Is Scouting, Youth Protection, Boy Scout Leader Specific Training, and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills.

The Garden State Council invites you to participate in the Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills, a fun-filled program of hands-on skills training in the outdoors, designed to help you master basic camp skills required for tenderfoot to First Class. This course will be held at

Instructors will help you learn how to set up camp, cook, work with woods tools and about ropes, first aid, planning campfire programs, map reading and compass skills, hiking and packing techniques, nature identification, and Leave No Trace. Each outdoor session will bring to life the pages of the Boy Scout Handbook to help you deliver the promise of Scouting to yourself and the youth you serve. It will also give you the opportunity to work with other Scout leaders from your area, meet new friends, and reinforce skill techniques with fellow unit leaders.

Online Registration Now Open

The lodge members in the southern end of the council are sponsoring an event that is called “FAST START” is is intended for new Boy Scouts who are needing new requirements for Tenderfoot through First Class. This is an instructional skills event that teaches the skills and allows the scouts the opportunity to return to his troop with a form indicating those skills learned and the troop then has the responsibility to preform the testing.

There is no cost for the event and troop leaders are welcome and encouraged to attend the event. Both members of the Order of the Arrow and NYLT training are encouraged to assist in being instructors for the event, there is an attached flyer for hand outs at roundtables and there is a registration posted on the our website at the following link.